The Seville & Miller Chronicles: The Ally Factor
by AllyBaby31695
Summary: Ever since Ally left, Simon's become a total wreck and the others are trying to cope as well. But will one huge family vacation bring them closer together or completely tear them apart? And find out how Ally's still a huge part of their lives...
1. Chapter 1: Heavy Minds and Tragic Times

**(Simon's POV)**

Nothing seems right with her gone. It happened only two days ago, but it feels like I'm still there at the airport, watching her plane take off. I guess it was the best for her. Certainly not for me, but at least she's happy.

Interrupting my thoughts was Theodore, who was knocking on my bedroom door. Still in my navy blue pajamas, I got up to get the door.

"Simon, Dave wants you downstairs," Theo told me. "Family meeting."

I groaned. "Fine. Just find me some clothes."

"Can do."

Practically, my entire life became a wreck since Ally left. My room is in a complete state of disaster, I couldn't go to school for the past two days, and I can't even think straight anymore. At least I still had my family and friends with me.

I changed into a pair of jeans and a clean t-shirt. I then ran downstairs to meet everyone in the living room.

Not one pair of eyes wasn't focused on me when I entered the room. I made my way over to the couch when suddenly everyone raced off and left the entire couch for me. Was I like a virus or something, or did everyone just over-react when I came over? Whatever it was, I just ignored it and sat down.

"So, why did you want to see us?" I asked Dave, still trying to keep myself awake.

"Well, I was hoping to talk to you guys about something," he answered. He managed to take a short pause before uttering his next sentence. "I know that all of you are missing Ally right now - some more than others - but I have a good feeling that what I'm about to say will cheer everyone up."

I could only imagine what Dave had to say.

"We're going on vacation," he said.

_Oh, hell, _I thought. _Not vacation._

**

* * *

**

**(Alvin's POV)**

It was no secret that Simon was in a depressing state. We all knew that for a fact. But when we heard those words come out of Dave's mouth, I thought he was about to have a nervous breakdown.

Simon wasn't the same since Ally left. He hasn't read any of his books in the den's library. Hell, he barely even left his bed or his room most of the time. The only three people that have even gone near his room (at least before today) were Dave, Claire and our mom, Vinny. I keep worrying about him and wondering about how much he's suffering, but hopefully, I'll get the chance to find out just that.

"Everyone, start packing," Dave ordered. "We leave tomorrow." He made his way over to talk to me. "Alvin, we need to talk."

I followed Dave into the kitchen and sat with him at one of the smaller tables.

"Are you sure that doing this is going to help him?" I managed to ask before Dave could start addressing what he wanted to talk about... or so I thought.

He folded his hands. "Simon was the exact person I wanted to talk to you about. There needs to be someone that can help him get through this."

"Well, Theodore and Eleanor are almost as depressed as he is, so they won't be much help. And Brittany's just a wreck."

Dave sighed. "Get Jeanette on Simon patrol for at least the next week."

"You mean instead of Vinny or along with her?"

"Along with her."

I got up from my seat. "I can do that."

Walking out of the kitchen, I found Jeanette sitting on the living room couch, watching the news on Channel 3.

"Hey," I said. "Anything good on?"

She kept flipping through the channels after I sat down. "Nope. At least... not today, anyways."

Trying to choose my words carefully, I put my hand on her shoulder. "Listen, Jean... I wanted to know if you could maybe watch Simon with our mom.

Jeanette smiled. "Sure... and Alvin, there's something I've been meaning to tell you. Before Ally left for New Jersey, she asked me to do a favor for her."

I was suddenly confused. "And what was that?"

"She asked me to go out with Simon."

"You mean, like, being his new girlfriend?"

There came that smile again. "Yeah, kind of."

I smiled back. "That's great. Since Ally's gone, I think you're the only one that could help him out."

She got up. "I'll go help Simon pack up. Thanks, Alvin."

For the first time in a very long time, I finally felt like I did something right. I knew eventually it would pay off in the end, but I couldn't be too sure...

Knowing Simon, anything could happen.


	2. Chapter 2: Situational

**(Jeanette's POV)**

A lot of memories of Ally raced through my head as I raced up the stairs. She was the only thing I could think about... well, besides Simon, of course. He's been on everybody's mind lately.

I made my way over to my room and sat down on my bed. I looked through a bunch of photographs of Ally and Simon, and I couldn't help but start to think about how Ally made all of our lives happy.

All of a sudden, I heard Simon's balcony door slam. I ran over to see what was going on, and I couldn't believe my eyes.

Simon was about to commit suicide...

I held nothing back. "Please, Simon! Don't do it!"

He stopped and turned around, his hands still on the trigger.

"Drop it, Si. I know you don't want to do that."

He let go and let it drop to the floor, digging his hands into his face. "I can't take this anymore, Jeanette. I think I'm about to go insane..."

Kneeling down beside him, I told him, "Ally would be disappointed if you did what you were about to do."

"You're right, Jeanette. I guess I just need some sleep."

"There's something else you need," I told him. "You need a new partner, as in... a 'girlfriend'."

He didn't seem surprised to hear that. "Ally is great, but I guess I do need to move on." He smiled. "Do you think maybe you could be my girlfriend, Jeanette? At least until Ally comes back?"

I smiled back. "Sure."

Simon seemed to be lost in thought. "Isn't there something we should... do first?"

"Let's not ruin the moment, okay?" I leaned in to kiss him, but I only ended up kissing him on the cheek. "Come on, we better keep packing in there."

"Alright. Just don't go searching through my clothes, will you?"

I laughed. "Now, why would I do that? I'm only in there because you told me to."

"Or my mom did."

"Yeah, gotta be Vinny."

The two of us just laughed at the thought and went back inside.

**

* * *

**

**(Ally's POV)**

"Work was hell, House treats me like hell, and if I have be in there one more minute with him, I'll-"

"Ally, calm down," Wilson said. "You're escalating your blood pressure... Okay, the test is done. There's only one test remaining: a pregnancy test."

I was confused. "Pregnancy... test?"

"Yeah, we heard about the kid that forced you to have sex. Good news is: even if you are pregnant, you can still work."

"But I already took the test!"

"I know. I mean the results are going to be here any minute."

"Oh... sorry."

He seemed reassuring. "Don't worry, I understand. If you've been with House for that long, you'd come to despise him."

Speaking of the devil, in came House with a stern expression on his face. "I thought I told you to work on the skin-diseased bastard case."

"Well, thanks to Cuddy, I spent the last hour testing Ms. DeGardo here for her medical check-up. I think what I'm doing is less risky than working on that case."

"Either one of you can work on her case, I don't care. I just want it solved."

"Since you're here, we can just go over the symptoms right now if you want."

I saw House shrug. "Fine. But just to let you know, Ally just can't hear what we're saying."

"Fine, I'll go work on the case."

Wilson stormed out of the room, and House closed the door, leaving just the two of us inside.

"Why must you act like an ass to everyone you come across?" I asked, balling my hands into fists.

"Because I just heard some great news about something..." House replied.

"And what would be this news?" I crossed my arms as I stood up.

He smirked. "You're pregnant..." He just laughed at me as he began to walk out of the room.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. _Pregnant? What's Simon going to think?..._

His name repeated itself in my head.

Simon would never be able to handle it if I told him. He might not even speak to me because he knew Chase had done this to me. Maybe there was a way he could help with the baby, even though he was thousands of miles away...

_God can only hope,_ I thought. _He might never try to reach me again, but that's a risk I'll have to take._


	3. Chapter 3: Long Time Coming

**(Simon's POV)**

That night was torture. I had what seemed to be the worst nightmare of my life...

I played back in my head my attempted suicide. Then I had imagined what would've happened if I didn't listen to Jeanette and pulled the trigger on the gun.

The sight wasn't pretty, I can tell you that. I'm just a little disheartened about it, so unfortunately, I can't say what else I happened to dream up.

On the bright side, the next morning was much better than the night before. I woke up bright and early to make some coffee for everyone.

Unfortunately, my mother beat me to it.

"Oh, sorry," she said. "Did you want anything?"

"Just make me one iced with tons of cream and sugar."

"You like your coffee sweet, don't you?"

I laughed. "You know me so well."

She grabbed the coffees that she had made and placed them on the table. "So, how did you sleep last night?"

"Admitfully, not very well." I told her about the nightmare, and she seemed surprised.

"I had no idea you did that last night. Just do me a favor: please don't try to do it again."

Laughing, I told her, "I make no promises. If I do, just stop me."

"That's not at all the answer I was expecting from you, but I guess it'll do."

"I have everything packed. Do you want to help me put the luggage in?"

"Sure. Just start by getting your luggage. We'll have breakfast later."

**

* * *

**

**(Ally's POV)**

Today started off like the days before: I went downstiars to start making coffee for Cuddy. However, today, I wasn't as focused on my duties as I was on something else entirely.

_I can honestly say you've been on my mind_  
_Since I woke up today, up today_

A picture fell out of my pocket. It was a picture of me and Simon. I missed him so much since I left, but I had to continue with what I was doing.

_I look at your photograph all the time_  
_These memories come back to life_  
_And I don't mind_

The first thing that I remembered everytime I looked at that photo was when we first kissed. I never really could stop thinking about it after I brought it up.

_I remember when we kissed_  
_I still feel it on my lips_  
_The time that you danced with me_  
_With no music playing_

_But I remember those simple things_  
_I remember 'til I cry_  
_But the one thing I wish I'd forget_  
_The memory I wanna forget_  
_Is goodbye_

After the coffee was finished, I went to work early to get Cuddy's appointments straightened out. I decided to take the bus like I always did. I heard "Down" on the way, and I couldn't help but think of Simon again.

_I woke up this morning and played our song_  
_And through my tears, I sang along_

My cell phone was ringing. Theodore. Unfortunately, I couldn't answer it now.

_I picked up the phone and then put it down_  
_'Cause I know I'm wasting my time_  
_And I don't mind_

_I remember when we kissed_  
_I still feel it on my lips_  
_The time that you danced with me_  
_With no music playing_

_But I remember the simple things_  
_I remember 'til I cry_  
_But the one thing I wish I'd forget_  
_The memory I wanna forget_

As soon as I entered the hospital, my phone began to ring, and the caller was unexpected.

_Suddenly my cell phone's blowing up_  
_With your ringtone_  
_I hesitate but answer it anyway_  
_You sound so alone_

I answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Ally," came the voice on the other line. "How's everything?"

I wanted to tell him fine, but I couldn't lie to him. "I miss you a lot. How 'bout you?"

"Not as fun without you to be here with me."

_And I'm surprised to hear you say_

_You remember when we kissed?_  
_You still feel it on your lips_  
_The time that you danced with me_  
_With no music playing_

_You remember the simple things_  
_We talked 'til we cried_  
_You said that your biggest regret_  
_The one thing you wish I'd forget_  
_Is saying goodbye_

Trying not to cry, I admitted that I did regret leaving. Unfortunately, there was nothing either of us could do about it now.

"Dave's taking us on vacation," he said. "I have no idea where, but he's unfortunately gonna drive us there."

I laughed. "Good luck on the tour bus... I have to go. Nice to talk to you again, Simon."

"Same here, Ally... I love you."

"Remember, Jeanette's your girlfriend, not me."

He hesitated. "You told her to ask to be my girlfriend?"

"Yeah, but I didn't want you to be lonely while I was gone... That's one way I love you back. Besides, Jeanette really needs help, and I think you're the person that can give it to her..."

"Okay, but if you come back and you have a new-"

"Simon, I've told you before: if I do get a new boyfriend, I'll talk to him about you. And if he says me kissing you is okay and doesn't mean anything, I can. If he says no, I can't."

"That's fine with me... Bye, Ally."

"Bye, Simon."

_Saying goodbye_  
_Goodbye_


	4. Chapter 4: Changes

**(Brittany's POV)**

I was glad to see Simon being his normal self again when I saw him talking to Vinny and putting our luggage in the back of the tour bus. I decided to try and join in the conversation.

"Well, you're looking better," I said, hoping it would catch his attention.

It did. "Thanks," he replied. "All I guess I needed was some sleep."

"You're still not mad about going, are you?"

He laughed. "God no! I mean, I know I was upset before, but I called Ally and she made the situation better."

_Same old Simon, _I thought. _He's still hooked on Ally._

I saw Jeanette go over to Simon. "Hi, Si," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

_That's weird, _I thought. _Why did she just kiss him? Something must've happened between them last night..._

_And I'm going to find out what._

I made my way over to Jeanette. "What is up with you?" I asked. "You're acting really weird."

She smiled shyly. "Oh, that," she replied. "Well, Ally and I were talking before she left, and she wanted me to start... well... dating Simon. So, I promised her I would and we became official last night after I heard his door slam."

"Why did he slam his door, anyway?"

Her voice volume switched to a whisper. "He was about to commit suicide before I stopped him."

I was shocked. "Whoa! Did he pull the trigger?"

"Shh! No, he didn't, but he looked like he was about to."

"Oh my God... Please tell me you're watching him with Vinny."

"I am, Britt. If I wasn't before, I am now."

_Wow, _I thought, _I never thought Simon could get like that. But he told me Ally made the situation better... so I shouldn't be so worried..._

_Should I?_

My mind snapped back to reality when Simon said, "Sorry about that. Where were we?"

I struggled to find the right words. "Oh, um, I was actually just about to ask you if you needed help with the luggage."

"Oh, sure! Come on, there's only about three hundred more bags we need to stuff into this thing."

I laughed at his sarcasm. "Yeah, sure. Three hundred bags my ass."

Simon tried to control his laughter. "You know what? Just shut up and get some bags."

"Alright, whatever you say, Simon. Whatever you say."

**

* * *

**

**(Simon's POV)**

Ten minutes and what seemed like three hundred bags later, we were ready to go. I grabbed my iPod and jammed the earbuds attached to it into my ears.

Jeanette sat next to me on the couch. "Mind if I listen?"

"Sure."

All of a sudden, a song came on that sounded familiar to me from one of our previous adventures. I had to stop it before the first verse began.

"What's wrong?" Jeanette asked.

I tried to find the right words. "I just... I just can't listen to this song."

"Why not?"

"Because it reminds me too much of Ally."

"I hope you don't mind, but... could you possibly sing it to me?"

Trying not to think about Ally, I could only manage to get the chorus out:

_Baby, you're all that I want  
When you're lying here in my arms  
I'm finding it hard to believe  
We're in heaven_

I felt a tear roll down my face. "I couldn't sing any more of that if I tried."

She put her hand on my shoulder. "I understand. You don't want to bring her up, and I respect that."

All of a sudden, the tour bus came to a halt.

"Why did we stop?" I asked.

Dave came in from the "cockpit", as he liked to call it. "We're just stopping for some lunch," he replied.

We all came out and entered one of the best places we loved to eat in all of California: Benny's in downtown Los Angeles. However, little did I know, I was about to fall in love all over again...


	5. Chapter 5: A Girl And A Case

**(Simon's POV)**

As soon as we entered the place, there she was: very tall, skinny, and pale. Her blue-green eyes shined like diamonds, her long and flowing brown hair was luminous, and she had the most exquisite blue glasses I had ever seen. She also appeared to be very smart, very shy, and very sweet. She happened to be reading a book as I walked up.

"Hi," I greeted.

She blushed as she lifted her eyes off of her romance novel. "Hi."

"Are you here alone, or do you have friends here with you?"

"Well, unless you count my mom, then I'm here alone."

I was confused. "What's so wrong about your mother?"

"My mother abused me and treated me like hell. I want absolutely nothing to do with her."

Suddenly, I had an idea. "If you don't want to be with her anymore, you can come with me... tonight."

Her eyes lit up. "Are you sure you're not trying to kidnap me?" she asked with a completely serious tone.

I laughed. "I'm sure. Now, come on." I got up out of my seat, and I suddenly turned around. "By the way, um... I didn't happen to catch your name."

"Oh... my name is Wendy. Yours?"

I smiled. "Simon."

Wendy and I made our way over to the table where my brothers and the girls were.

Theodore was the first to look up. "Who's that?"

I put my hand around Wendy's shoulder. "Guys, this is Wendy. She's having a little trouble at home right now. Where's Dave?"

"He's still in the bus," Brittany answered. "Why?"

"Well, I wanted to know if she could stay with us for the trip."

"That's a great idea," Jeanette agreed. "I'll go with you."

Jeanette followed us outside to the tour bus. Dave was leaning up against the bus, eating a cheeseburger.

"Who do you have there?" he asked.

"This is Wendy," I told him. "I wanted to know if maybe she could stay with us for a while."

"Well, sure. I guess one more person won't hurt."

Jeanette and I took Wendy into the tour bus.

"Do you want coffee or something?" I asked.

"Sure," came Wendy's reply. "Whatever you got."

Just then, everyone else came on, and it took only about an hour to get to the hotel.

**

* * *

**

**(Hotchner's POV)**

It had been a slow day for me and the team. We tried as hard as we could to find a case, but it wasn't until about five in the afternoon that we got a call from Laconia, CA.

"Alright, thank you. We're on our way."

I made my way out of the office and headed down to the conference room. "Reid, Morgan, Gideon, JJ: we have a case."

"Well, it's about time," Morgan replied. "I'll get baby girl on alert."

Trusting Morgan with Garcia, I went into the conference room with Reid, Gideon and JJ.

"So, whatcha got, boss?" JJ asked me.

"The owner of the Traverse Hotel called in just a minute ago saying that none of their guests have left their rooms... Wait, where's Prentiss?"

"Unfortunately, she's in the middle of traffic still... So, how many people are we talking here?"

"At least one hundred people... adults, I mean. And many of the families had children, so this could possibly an unsub who feels sympathy and pity for children and no emotion except hatred towards adults."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Gideon asked. "Let's get started."

Everyone left to get their things except for Reid. He seemed to be lost in his own mind.

"Is there something bothering you, Reid?" I inquired. "You look a little pale."

He just continued to stare into space.

"Come on, Reid. I'll find you a drink while you're on the plane ride over. We need to talk about this."

Reid stood up. "I guess I do just need a drink."

"That's the spirit. Come on, we've got a case to solve."


	6. Chapter 6: Kidnapped

**(Simon's POV)**

"Guys, our hotel is just around the corner," Dave told us. "Get ready to get your bags."

Wendy, Jeanette and I made our way to the front door of the bus. The first thing we saw when we reached the hotel was its name: the Traverse. It was a weird name to call a hotel, but who was I to judge?

I decided to pick up a newspaper and read it while we waited, but the front page article's almost made me puke.

The three of us had wanted to go find a few things, so we hit the closest supermarket and ate some lunch at one of the local Italian restaurants. We had then decided to play a little Texas Hold 'Em out on the front patio.

I folded my hand as I put in another poker chip. "I'm in."

Jeanette slid a chip into the pot. "So am I."

"Full house."

"Four of a kind."

I groaned. "Shit. You win again."

"That's just how I roll, baby."

Wendy interrupted. "I kind of want to hit the pool, if you guys don't mind."

I smiled. "Sure. Jeanette, mind putting the cards away?"

"No problem."

Wendy and I made our way over to the back area, where the pool was. However, instead of water being in the pool, it was blood.

Only one thing came to my mind as I got closer to the pool:

_Murder._

"I'm gonna check this thing out," I said. "Stay back."

The pool was a deep red color, but there was no way I could distinguish whether any bodies were in there or not.

"Wendy, call the police. Someone might be dead in here."

"I can't. My phone's not charged."

Despite the setback, I pulled out my gun and my cell phone, dialing 911.

"Hello? 911," an operator answered.

"Yes, I might have found a couple of dead bodies in the pool of the Traverse Hotel," I told him.

"Alright, kid. We'll send help right away."

I hung up and stayed poolside to collect the blood water and possibly see if there was any match to the residents. Behind me, I heard someone walk up behind me. I aimed for who was coming, but he came out and knocked me to the ground, my gun falling to the floor. He shoved a cloth in my mouth and I noticed a chemical that started making me dizzy. I tried to fight it, but I was eventually knocked out.

The next thing I knew, I was stuck inside a room with only a door for decoration. I had been tied up, my hands and my knees, and I could barely move. Wendy and Jeanette were next to me in the same position.

Suddenly, this tall, pale woman walked in. Her eyes were dead set on Wendy, and I cringed.

"Hello, children," she said. "Welcome to hell."

"What do you want from us?" Jeanette asked firmly.

"Child, what I simply want is for Little Miss Sunshine here to die."

"You're a sick bitch," I told her, "and I'll never understand how you just don't want your daughter anymore."

She growled. "You have no right to know."

"I have every right to know, so 'fess up, bitch!"

"You really need to know how to control your temper, kid."

"I don't need to listen to you, and I never will!"

She turned to leave. "You'll see. One of these days, you'll give in and you'll do anything I ask for. You'll see." She closed the door behind her.

Losing my patience, I got up and tried to knock the door down with my hands and feet still tied. I had no luck.

I finally lost it. "Let us out, or I swear there'll be hell to pay, bitch!" My knees suddenly buckled to the floor, keeping me grounded.

"Simon... you're kind of scaring me," Jeanette admitted.

My upper body fell to the floor, and I could only manage a whisper. "I'm sorry..." I looked around and noticed something sticking out of her back pocket. "Jeanette, did you get my gun when I was knocked out?"

She smiled. "I figured you would need it, so I salvaged it before the kidnappers could take it."

I looked at her. "You are a lifesaver. Jeanette, untie me... quick!"

All of a sudden, one of the pipes was spilling out a mist of the same chemical that was wrapped around the cloth that was stuffed in my mouth before I was kidnapped. The three of us were trapped in the cell and fell unconscious again.


	7. Chapter 7: Left Behind

**(Simon's POV)**

I should have never yelled at them. I should have never let them leave me here to die. I should've begged them to stay with me so I wouldn't be dying here alone...

All of the blood on my hands had dried, but the pain all over my body was still throbbing.

However, my hands, somehow, still felt wet.

I looked down and saw water coming out of my hands. I couldn't possibly begin to understand how it was happening, and I also couldn't control it. No matter how many times I kept my hands stuck to the ground, it wouldn't stop.

The water was up to my chin when I sat back down, and it just kept getting higher and higher.

I tried to find higher ground so maybe it would stop. No luck. The water just kept flowing, and I was suddenly submerged in it.

I had to call for help a couple of times, but unfortunately, no one had answered me. When the water finally reached the top of the freight, I ended up partially drowning until I lost consciousness.

The first thing I felt as I was waking up was Jeanette giving me CPR. She seemed a little shaken, but I figured she was just scared.

Someone else was with them, but I couldn't distinguish who it was. "He needs some space, you two," she said. "Reid, Morgan: I'm pretty sure now's a good time for questions."

I sat myself up as two men walked into the room. Both were dressed in FBI uniforms and armed with handguns.

One of them knelt down to my level. "How are you feeling?"

I sighed. "Better than yesterday, I suppose."

The woman I saw with Jeanette and Wendy before stood by the agent's side. "Don't worry. We're only here to help." She paused for a second. "My name is Agent Jareu, or JJ, if you want. This is Agent Morgan beside you and over there is Doctor Reid. We came to ask you a few questions. Okay?"

I nodded. "As long as I don't have to go through that chute again."

"Alright... Morgan, I think you're the one that should be asking the questions."

Morgan stayed at my eye level as the other agents left the room. "I know you're a little on edge right now, but trust me. Things will get better before you know it." He stood back up, giving me some space. "Were you the kid that called yesterday at around two o'clock?"

"Yes, I was."

"Do you know anything that could possibly help us in this case?"

I suddenly remembered Wendy's mother back on the train. "I know what your suspect looks like."

This caught Morgan's attention. "Give me as much information as you can."

"Morgan, hold on," came a voice from another agent entering the room. "This kid looks like he could be a useful profiler. If he's able to successfully profile his kidnapper, we just might be able to get him a job on a team."

"And take him back to Quantico? What are you, nuts?"

"No, that's not what I meant. What I meant to say was we could use him on an as-needed basis."

Morgan looked intrigued. "Why not? Come on, kid. You're coming with us to profile our suspect."

* * *

**(Reid's POV)**

Something told me that Simon, the kid Morgan was talking to before JJ and I left, was definitely profiler material, especially since when we got back to the station, he was there.

JJ and I grabbed the team's lunch and headed towards the door.

"McDonald's, Reid? Really?" Morgan asked.

"Well, it was the only place closest to the crime scene," I answered. "Where'd the kid go?"

"Inside with Hotch already. He says he's got a profile of our suspect. No name, just details."

JJ joined in to the conversation. "Wait a minute... A _ten-year-old _has a profile on _our_ suspect? Sounds like you, Reid."

As odd as it was, he _did_ seem a lot like me, even though he was so young. I wonder what kind of hell made him like me, or maybe if he was like me to begin with.

I made my way inside and sat myself at the conference table with everyone else.

"Reid, are you okay?" Prentiss had asked me.

Focusing my mind on the case, I told her, "Never better."

I saw Hotch paging for Garcia, and Simon sat across from me, folding his hands. He didn't look up at any of us, probably because he was uncomfortable around us, but I couldn't be too sure.

"What can I do for you, Hotch?" I heard Garcia ask.

"Language filter, Garcia," Hotch ordered. He urged Simon up out of his seat. "We have a kid in the room who has our unsub's profile... well, bits and pieces, anyway."

"How old's the kid?"

"Ten years old, Garcia."

She seemed surprised. "Really? This is... new."

"I know, but trust me. The kid's much smarter than you think."

"Well, let's hear it."

Simon didn't move.

"A little intimidated, I guess," Hotch told her, "but I think this is just new for him."

In less than a minute, Simon had stood up. "Your suspect's a thirty to thirty-five-year-old white female, and she has a daughter named Wendy. I have reason to believe her motivation for torture is she believes she's on a mission. She has pity for children with abusive parents and no pity for the parents and anyone who stands in her way. The only abusive parent she hasn't murdered is herself because she believes she's being a good mother... Do you think you can go on that?"

The rest of us stood astonished with the profile until Garcia chimed in. "Got it. Vivianne Thomas. Lives on 32 Charmaine Ave."

Hotch turned to me. "Get Simon in the car. He's coming with us." He grabbed something out of his pocket. "By the way," Hotch said, handing me a gun, "this is his. I know he's tried suicide once, but his current guardians assured me that he won't be doing it again."

I suddenly got curious. "Is it licensed to him?"

"Surprisingly, yes."

Heading back to my car, I didn't try to put any more thought into Simon and tried to focus more on the case as we made our way to the address.


	8. Chapter 8: Underwater

**(Simon's POV)**

I should have never yelled at them. I should have never let them leave me here to die. I should've begged them to stay with me so I wouldn't be dying here alone...

All of the blood on my hands had dried, but the pain all over my body was still throbbing.

However, my hands, somehow, still felt wet.

I looked down and saw water coming out of my hands. I couldn't possibly begin to understand how it was happening, and I also couldn't control it. No matter how many times I kept my hands stuck to the ground, it wouldn't stop.

The water was up to my chin when I sat back down, and it just kept getting higher and higher.

I tried to find higher ground so maybe it would stop. No luck. The water just kept flowing, and I was suddenly submerged in it.

I had to call for help a couple of times, but unfortunately, no one had answered me. When the water finally reached the top of the freight, I ended up partially drowning until I lost consciousness.

The first thing I felt as I was waking up was Jeanette giving me CPR. She seemed a little shaken, but I figured she was just scared.

Someone else was with them, but I couldn't distinguish who it was. "He needs some space, you two," she said. "Reid, Morgan: I'm pretty sure now's a good time for questions."

I sat myself up as two men walked into the room. Both were dressed in FBI uniforms and armed with handguns.

One of them knelt down to my level. "How are you feeling?"

I sighed. "Better than yesterday, I suppose."

The woman I saw with Jeanette and Wendy before stood by the agent's side. "Don't worry. We're only here to help." She paused for a second. "My name is Agent Jeroe, or JJ, if you want. This is Agent Morgan beside you and over there is Doctor Reid. We came to ask you a few questions. Okay?"

I nodded. "As long as I don't have to go through that chute again."

"Alright... Morgan, I think you're the one that should be asking the questions."

Morgan stayed at my eye level as the other agents left the room. "I know you're a little on edge right now, but trust me. Things will get better before you know it." He stood back up, giving me some space. "Were you the kid that called yesterday at around two o'clock?"

"Yes, I was."

"Do you know anything that could possibly help us in this case?"

I suddenly remembered Wendy's mother back on the train. "I know what your suspect looks like."

This caught Morgan's attention. "Give me as much information as you can."

"Morgan, hold on," came a voice from another agent entering the room. "This kid looks like he could be a useful profiler. If he's able to successfully profile his kidnapper, we just might be able to get him a job on a team."

"And take him back to Quantico? What are you, nuts?"

"No, that's not what I meant. What I meant to say was we could use him on an as-needed basis."

Morgan looked intrigued. "Why not? Come on, kid. You're coming with us to profile our suspect."

* * *

**(Reid's POV)**

Something told me that Simon, the kid Morgan was talking to before JJ and I left, was definitely profiler material, especially since when we got back to the station, he was there.

JJ and I grabbed the team's lunch and headed towards the door.

"McDonald's, Reid? Really?" Morgan asked.

"Well, it was the only place closest to the crime scene," I answered. "Where'd the kid go?"

"Inside with Hotch already. He says he's got a profile of our suspect. No name, just details."

JJ joined in to the conversation. "Wait a minute... A _ten-year-old _has a profile on _our_ suspect? Sounds like you, Reid."

As odd as it was, he _did_ seem a lot like me, even though he was so young. I wonder what kind of hell made him like me, or maybe if he was like me to begin with.

I made my way inside and sat myself at the conference table with everyone else.

"Reid, are you okay?" Prentiss had asked me.

Focusing my mind on the case, I told her, "Never better."

I saw Hotch paging for Garcia, and Simon sat across from me, folding his hands. He didn't look up at any of us, probably because he was uncomfortable around us, but I couldn't be too sure.

"What can I do for you, Hotch?" I heard Garcia ask.

"Language filter, Garcia," Hotch ordered. He urged Simon up out of his seat. "We have a kid in the room who has our unsub's profile... well, bits and pieces, anyway."

"How old's the kid?"

"Ten years old, Garcia."

She seemed surprised. "Really? This is... new."

"I know, but trust me. The kid's much smarter than you think."

"Well, let's hear it."

Simon didn't move.

"A little intimidated, I guess," Hotch told her, "but I think this is just new for him."

In less than a minute, Simon had stood up. "Your suspect's a thirty to thirty-five-year-old white female, and she has a daughter named Wendy. I have reason to believe her motivation for torture is she believes she's on a mission. She has pity for children with abusive parents and no pity for the parents and anyone who stands in her way. The only abusive parent she hasn't murdered is herself because she believes she's being a good mother... Do you think you can go on that?"

The rest of us stood astonished with the profile until Garcia chimed in. "Got it. Vivianne Thomas. Lives on 32 Charmaine Ave."

Hotch turned to me. "Get Simon in the car. He's coming with us." He grabbed something out of his pocket. "By the way," Hotch said, handing me a gun, "this is his. I know he's tried suicide once, but his current guardians assured me that he won't be doing it again."

I suddenly got curious. "Is it licensed to him?"

"Surprisingly, yes."

Heading back to my car, I didn't try to put any more thought into Simon and tried to focus more on the case as we made our way to the address.


	9. Chapter 9: Close Encounter

**(Simon's POV)**

"That was quite a performance back there with that profile," came JJ's voice as we got into Reid's car. "For a kid, you're pretty good at that."

"It was nothing, really," I replied, trying to be honest.

"You're being too modest, kid," Morgan as he slid next to me in the back seat. "Back when I joined the BAU..."

"There he goes again," JJ groaned, rolling his eyes.

"I never had such a successful profile on my first try. But I remember when Reid joined the team."

Reid turned the rearview mirror towards Morgan. "And that was when, '97?"

"Not the point. The both of you gave outstanding profiles on your first try. That's got to count for something."

Suddenly, the four of us heard gunshots, two of the bullets crashing through the back car window and barely missing my neck.

JJ grew apprehensive. "Simon, Morgan: stay down," she ordered. "Reid, hit the gas."

Morgan and I did as ordered, though it didn't help much. Bullets were still coming through the car, and apparently the shooters didn't give a damn if we ended up dead or not.

When Reid tried to swerve and dodge a couple bullets, the car ended up flipping over into one of the neaby woodland areas.

I quickly found my way out of the overturned car, Morgan following right behind me. Reid and JJ came out of the car soon afterwards.

"How far's the place from here?" I asked.

"Only about a block," Reid answered. "If we make a run for it, we should get there in about a minute." Leading the way, Reid has gotten the four of us to the address, where Hotch and Gideon were waiting for us with another chipmunk I had recognized from school.

The chipmunk's name was Jake, and he had been Alvin's friend for a couple of years. He was a jock on the baseball team and the basketball team with Alvin, and he was just as much a flirt as Alvin was. He had also saved my butt from Nathan a couple times, and he'd ask Alvin how I've been every week or so.

So imagine his surprise when he saw me walking over.

His response was exactly what I had expected.

"Simon?" he asked. "Is that you?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"What are you doing here? You should be at school, man."

"He's part of our investigation," Hotch told him, leaving me extra time to think about how guilty I was for not being at school right now.

Jake continued to talk to me. "You don't look right, man. What's going on with you?"

"It's complicated," I answered.

Reid came between us. "I don't think you two should start that conversation," he said. "Come on, Simon. I need to take you back to my place."

Nothing else had been said as I walked with Reid to another hotel, where we ended up situating ourselves for the night.

Getting up the next morning, I found Reid's phone, beeping. I picked it up and answered it.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Yes, this is Hotch. Where's Reid?"

"I'm afraid he's still sleeping, Hotch."

"Well, can I get you guys to come to the train station? Garcia thinks she found the kids on one of the trains' security cameras."

"On our way... I'll go wake him up. See you there."

I didn't want to wake him up, but I knew I had to. This case was mostly his business, not mine.

"Reid," I said, "get up. They need us down at the train station."

Backing off to give Reid space to get up, I ran off to get changed and find some of the case file.

In about five minutes, once Reid had gotten himself together, we were there. Hotch had told us the plan, and once the train reached the station, Reid and I snuck on.

"Why are we doing this?" I asked, slightly angry and confused. "How come we're not holding this train at the station?"

"That would be too risky," Reid answered back. "I'm not a big fan of it, either, but I'm not the one in charge."

I had to give him that, but I had more important things on my mind.

After a good amount of struggling, Reid and I were able to get the door to the back freight car open. We were shocked to see that the children that had been missing from the hotel (and whose parents had been murdered) were inside.


	10. Chapter 10: Melody

**(Simon's POV)**

The kids looked as if they hadn't eaten in days. They seemed a little pale as well.

In particular, there was a small chipmunk that was in the midst of all of the kids that were human, and she seemed to be the most intimidated out of all of them.

She quickly ran and grabbed my leg, sobbing into the lower part of my jeans.

Meanwhile, Reid had tried his best to calm everyone down by telling them that they would be getting out in a matter of minutes.

I decided to let Reid go ahead while I stayed back with the kids.

Grabbing the little chipmunk attached to my leg, I sat down with my back against the window and sat her down next to me.

She laid her head on my knee. "Where's my mom?"

I tried my best to find the right words to tell her. Unfortunately, for my sake, I couldn't put it delicately.

"She left," I finally answered, feeling guilty that I was sort of lying to her.

"Is she coming back?"

I had to wait a second before I could answer her. "I'm afraid not."

She lifted her head up, still crying. "I made her go away, didn't I?"

"Why would you just think that?"

"Because she doesn't like me."

I sighed. "Listen, it wasn't your fault that your mom left, and I'm sure she loved you very much, but there's nothing I can do to have her come back."

All of a sudden, the train had stopped back at the station. Miss Thomas came out of the lead car in handcuffs, and Reid opened the car so everyone else could follow.

"I forgot to ask you..." I told the chipmunk. "What's your name?"

She grabbed my hand. "Melody," she answered, looking down at her feet. "So, where do I go now?"

"You're coming to live with me for a while."

Suddenly, an after-thought kicked in: Dave was going to kill me for bringing someone else home with us.

After packing and taking everything back to the tour bus, my brothers and I were sitting on the couch with Melody.

"What made you bring her back here?" Alvin asked me.

"I just wanted to keep her safe," I answered back. "Why did Jake want to come home with us?"

"His parents thought it was best. They were living off welfare, and and they were afraid they couldn't take care of him anymore."

The two of us watched Melody walk over to Theodore.

"Can I have a cookie?" she asked, holding out her hands. "Please?"

"Sure!" came Theo's response. "Here, take two."

"Thank you."

Alvin turned back to me. "Do you think you did the right thing bringing her home?"

I smiled. "I know I did, Alvin, and I'm not going to regret it."


End file.
